An archive of Laura's past surprises...

July '06 feature...

Ten months after Hurricane Katrina, I’m home in New Orleans. My husband Marty and I moved back into our house on January 1, and it’s been a rough ride ever since. Our house (link opens in a new window) is a construction site. Although our immediate neighborhood has rebounded wonderfully, around it are blocks and blocks of ruined, empty houses. The National Guard patrols our streets, which are haunted not only by criminals, but by the ghosts of citizens who are still gone, maybe permanently. Power and water outages are frequent. But some semblance of the life we knew has returned to New Orleans. We’ve overeaten in the great restaurants that have reopened, we’ve reunited with friends we missed while we were evacuated, and we’ve forged strong connections with neighbors we wouldn’t have met if not for Katrina. We’re busy rebuilding our city. And I’m working on a new book, tentatively titled The Snow Empress. Writing has been my lifeline. So has painting, my other favorite pursuit. Art has the power to raise us above suffering, to transform negative into positive. This past year has been one of the most traumatic and one of the most creative periods in my life. Here are some paintings I’ve finished since the hurricane.

Four original paintings by Laura Joh Rowland©

November '05 feature...

About 7 weeks after we evacuated to Michigan, my husband Marty and I finally returned to our home in New Orleans (right, marked by the rescue squad). The bad news: The lowest level of our house, which contains the rec room, Marty's office, and second bathroom, got around 2 ½ feet of flood water. We lost the washer, dryer, and a lot of Marty's books, computer and video equipment, and memorabilia. Also ruined were 2 air conditioners, one furnace, and my car. The living room got just enough water to ruin the rug and the wood floor. Oh, and there was a big hole in the roof, which leaked rain into the bedroom. We spent 6 days clearing out wet, moldy, stuff. What a mess!

The good news: Our house is still there! It's fixable, we have insurance, and repairs are underway. Our newly remodeled kitchen was untouched by Katrina (except the refrigerator, which was infested with maggots eating the rotted food). We can and will go home again. Much of what we lost was junk that we needed to get rid of. (Left: The chaos inside.) We even have plenty of junk left. And although our neighborhood is surrounded by blocks and blocks of ruined, empty houses, it's coming back to life; more than a few folks are returning and rebuilding. We are fortunate compared to so many other New Orleanians.

The best news: A crisis really does bring out the best in people. My heartfelt thanks to our family and friends who gave us food, shelter, and moral support; also, to my readers who have supported my work over the years and written good wishes into my guest book. I couldn't have survived this ordeal without you.

Me in hazmat gear, with some of our ruined
stuff that we threw out on the street.

 June '05 feature...

My three muses: Fatboy, Simon, and Phoebe